Turbine engines routinely undergo diagnostic testing or monitoring throughout the life of the engine, for example through the use of a turbine engine health monitoring systems. Such turbine engine health monitoring systems typically monitor either measured quantities or derivatives of measured quantities of engine performance. Such measured quantities or derivatives are generally fairly accurate measures of deviation in engine operation. However, these measured quantities or derivatives may not indicate the underlying root cause and/or a level of severity thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for determining underlying root causes in a turbine engine. There is also a need for an improved system for determining underlying root causes in a turbine engine. In addition, there is a need for improved methods and systems for determining a severity of the underlying root causes in a turbine engine. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.